Calls for boroughs to lead on London Plan delivery

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan's vision for city-wide regeneration should be led by individual boroughs, according to a speaking panel at the world's largest property conference.

Image courtesy of London at MIPIM via Twitter, 2018

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan's vision for city-wide regeneration should be led by individual boroughs, according to a speaking panel at the world's largest property conference.

Delegates from both the private and public sectors spoke about the London Plan at the launch of the London Councils stand at MIPIM, in Cannes, on Tuesday morning.

After expressing concern that the densification of housing delivery could impact on growth in Croydon, council director of planning and strategic transport, Heather Cheesbrough proposed that boroughs should be in charge of delivering the plan: "The London Plan should only provide the strategic policies ­– boroughs know best how to deliver on it."

Pipe highlighted the positive response to the plan, but acknowledged some borough’s concerns: "The [London Plan] consultation results have shown both support for good growth and development, but also pushback from outer London boroughs on transport, green belt and densification."

Rodwell used his borough as a case study for regeneration in the city: "We plan to build, in the next 20 years, 60,000 homes; we’re looking to build the size of York; we're not looking to be a dormitory, or the centre of London ­– London itself now needs to change because it's pulsing again.

He encouraged regeneration in outer London boroughs: "We need places like Barking and Dagenham, Croydon, up in the north with Barnet, over to Ealing, Harrow over in the west, to start becoming cases of excellence when it comes to jobs, infrastructure and housing."